Guardians - Frostbitten shadow (story 1)
by xaltanat.daimaou
Summary: This story is a bit fast-paced. It retells the movie (that's why it is not very detailed) just to add a new character in such a way that she could have been in the movie without being ever seen. A shadow-girl is helping Pitch Black to defeat the Guardians, but then she falls for Jack. But he is a hero and she is a nightmare... or is she not? Hope you like it!


**FROST-BITTEN SHADOW**

_A "Rise of the Guardians" fanfic for the "Flowers from a Distant Sun" Collection_

Jack Frost had been alone since he could remember. No matter how hard he tried, no one was ever able to see him. Nobody believed in him.

He asked the Man of the Moon, "why?" again, for the n-tieth time in 300 years. But as always, the answer was silence.

If only he had known how soon that was about to change.

Jack wandered the town of Burgess as the night fell. He saw Sandy's golden dust go to work giving children beatiful dreams.

As he reached with his own hand to touch the glowing dust that palyfully flowed in rivulets on top of his head, a shadow lurched somewhere else.

An ash skinned man dressed in dull black clothes, loomed over a sleeping girl. He watched as a golden unicorn pranced around in her innocent, sweet dreams. He marveled at the opportunity and chuckled softly.

"Oh, I thought I heard the clippetty-clop of a unicorn… what an adorable dream!" – he said as he came closer.

"and look at her! Precious child…" – he gazed upon the girl's peaceful face with his silvery eyes.

Black dust raised from his shadow and a smaller, slender figure crept from behind him as he spoke.

The figure was that of a young girl, her hair was blacker than black and floated around her, more like smoke than hair. Her eyes were completely black, as if empty.

She peeked at the sleeping child as the man continued his speech.

"So sweet, so full of hope… why there's only one thing missing… a touch of fear"

The shadow girl watched as his master poked his long, thin index finger into the golden unicorn.

She winced as she watched the dust figure contort; blackness spreading, contaminating its body until it turned into a shapeless black mini whirlwind. The child grimaced and shifted uneasily in bed, bad dreams invading her mind.

"Fear… fear… come on…" the man intoned "c'mon… that's right… yes…"

The black dust reshaped into a nightmarish horse with glowing red eyes that galloped in the air around its master.

"What a pretty little nightmare!" – he said as he held the beast in his hands and spoke to it – "now I want you to go tell the others that the wait is over"

The nightmare horse dashed through the open window into the cold night, neighing.

He turned to the shadow girl and said "That goes for you too, my dear"

Without a word, the girl spread her arms as wings, her smoky dress floating like dark veils. She dashed out the same window after the horse.

The man stepped outside and spoke into the night. He knew Sandy would hear him as he challenged the Guardians.

The girl darted across the moonlit sky as a shapeless shadow after making sure the nightmarish horses were gathering without trouble.

As she glanced down, she saw somebody walking in a very laid-back fashion along some high tension cables. Silvery hair called her attention and she decided to take a quick, closer look.

Jack walked ahead balancing effortlessly along the cables. He watched as the golden rivulets became thinner and vanished.

As he paused for a moment, a dark shadow rushed across just in front of him, almost making him trip.

"Wow!" – he exclaimed in surprise trying to follow the dark shape with his eyes.

He couldn't see what it was, but he definitely had to find out. He flew with the wind following the direction he thought the shadow had taken. He stepped lightly on a rooftop, jumped to a treebranch and stood there to glance around.

Then, something raced across his field of vision just below. Jack gave chase, floating swiftly over cables, cars and houses until he got to an alley between a gas station and an apartment building.

He stood defensively, scrutinizing his surroundings, when he heard a familiar voice.

It was the Easter Bunny; who was more like the Rambo of the kangaroo-hare crossbreeds.

As they spoke, the shadow girl peeked from top of a building, where darkness concealed her. They didn't notice her.

Her black eyes widened as she saw the boy under the yellowish public lights.

She had only appreciated his pale, smooth skin, young looks and silvery white hair when she had darted in front of him back on the cables. Now she could gaze at him leisurely.

He was so good looking! His clothes were worn and he didn't wear any shoes. She wondered if he didn't feel the cold. No, it appeared he didn't. His pullover was covered by frost and he didn't seem to mind at all. His lively mint green eyes had a special spark to them, as he teased the bunny. They were like gems, bright and beautiful. Her heart pumped harder.

He was funny and kind; and had an overall attittude that she found charming and appealing.

His thin frame made him appear fragile. He had pale cheeks, just a hint of pink in them; his silvery, rebel hair, his long, thin hands. Would they be devoided of warmth? Would his body be cold? and his lips… would they be cold to the touch too? She thought.

She wondered for a second how would it feel like to fly high together, carried by the wind, weighless, frolicking in the vastness of the sky as swiftly as he had seen him move. Oh, what fun it must be!

She felt drawn to him, but she knew she couldn't go any closer and that made her sad. Besides, she was just a shadow. A shadow of a nightmare.

As she longingly glanced in the boy's direction, two yetis came out of nowhere, shoved the boy into a sack and dissappeared into a portal. The bunny vanished down a hole he opened in the grownd, tapping it twice with his huge paw.

She was surprised at the turn of events and dissappointed to see him go away. She wondered if she would see him again and let out a sigh.

"Slacking off?" – she heard a soft, but commanding voice behind her.

She stod up in a blink, turning. It was the man in the dull black clothes.

She looked down at her feet, contrite.

"Let's go. We have a lot to do". – he ordered.

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The master, Pitch Black, ordered an attack on the Tooth Fairie's headquarters while Tooth was away.

The shadow girl lead the nightmare beasts forward and they broke into the mountain. There, they took all the teeth and captured all the little hummingbird-like helpers.

Secretly, the shadow girl made sure none was hurt during the process. They were so tiny and adorable. Pitch had actually instructed her to destroy the helpers; but she couldn't tolerate the idea of letting the beasts kill them while they raided the place.

She threw out black sand from her hands. The sand took the shape of nets, capturing bunches of the little creatures each time, but she cared not to crush them.

The jewel feathered helpers tried frantically to escape and many flew outside, but they were quickly caught and devoured by the black phantom horses, which kept them inside their bodies as if in prisons.

The sleigh carrying North, the Bunny, Sandy and Jack sped head on towards the mountain, after Tooth was alerted. But they were all too late. The sleigh crossed paths with the beasts as they retreated.

The vehicle entered the mountain top in hot persuit of one of the nightmares. North was finally able to slice the moster and some tooth boxes fell into the sleigh.

Tooth didn't see the shadow girl. She was too busy trying to rescue her companions from the horses, to no avail. As the sleigh arrived, they didn't notice the dark girl either. All was chaos, and it was happening very fast. The girl commanded the remaining nightmares to retreat.

As she glanced behind, she saw the silver-haired boy take the reins of the sleigh. Her heart skipped a beat.

After seeing that all the beasts were heading full gallop back to their hideout, she returned to his master's side, hiding from the sight of the Guardians.

Just then, Pitch stepped out for everybody to see him. She couldn't do the same, though. She couldn't bear the ice boy see her with contempt, as they were all glaring at her master.

The notion of being enemies was painful enough to have his hatred directly upon her too.

His master teased the guardians, elluding them as they tried to seize him in vain, for he vanished into his own shadow, reappearing here and there as he pleased.

Then, she saw the boy step forward.

"Hang on… is that Jack Frost?" – Pitch Black mocked.

"Jack Frost" the girl whispered to herself, amused at how his name tasted in her mouth. She rarely spoke, for her master preferred the sound of his own voice. He then said something about ignoring Jack. At that moment, the Tooth Fairy lauched herself in a frontal attack against Pitch Black.

The shadow girl knew she had to protect her master. That purpose, she thought, was the only reason she was alive.

But she didn't want to be seen by Jack. She took a handfull of the black smoke-like hair that flowed around her and threw it towards them. The smoke was black dust, and it took on the shape of one of the nightmares in a split second; dashing between the Guardian and Pitch, baring teeth, threatening to tear a chunk of the Guardian's flesh off.

Of course the shadow girl wouldn't order the beast to do it, but the threat was believable enough and the Tooth Fairy backed away.

Her master took some black dust, that the horse emanated and continued his speech, telling the guardians how he had been diminished and turned into an invisible being as people no longer believed in him.

That feeling, the shadow girl thought, she understood perfectly. She was lost, cold and scared when he found her. He helped her back to her strenght. He had been the only one to accept her and her sand, mixed with his control over fear, would protect her against anything.

She couldn't abandon the master, not after all that he had done for her.

But had the master hinted that Jack Frost was just like them? She felt a pain to her heart to think that the boy was in her same situation.

Pitch Black continued to speak, telling the Guardians how children would stop believing in them and they would be forgotten and made invisible.

She didn't like his master's actions. But there was nothing she could do. It was unfair that he wanted all of the Guardian's to become like them, ignored and lonely.

As her thoughts wandered, the black horse turned into a whirlwind.

She snapped out of her thoughts as the Easter Bunny launched his boomerang. She saw the master dodge it and commanded the black sand to return to the shape of a nightmare beast. Her master mounted on it and the horse gallopped away at full speed.

Jack launched himself after Pitch Black. All the Guardians did. The shadow girl gasped. Swiftly, she commanded the beast to melt into shadows. Pitch Black, the beast and herself turned into sheer darkness and vanished from sight, espcaping, leaving the Guardians behind at the mountain.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"What were you doing back there!" – Pitch Black roared when they were at their hideout.

The shadow girl didn't dare to make the slightest sound when he was angry. She just shrunk before him, shielding herself with her arms. He had never laid a hand on her, but he had other ways of making himself be obeyed. He had changed so much. When he found her, he had been sweet and caring. He had treated her so well and had gained her trust. He protected her from the world using the black dust. He had said that only fear would protect her from being attacked because of her different appearance.

But now everything was going bad. Terribly bad. As if the mere thought of the Guardians drove her master crazy. He was showing his evil side and she repented of being by his side, but she was afraid to leave. Where would she go? She would be rejected everywhere. Besides, her darkness was linked to his. If he left, she would weaken and would be helpless. So he had said.

"What were you thinking!" – he demanded – "that was a very close one! It shouldn't have happened that way! Run away like a beaten dog, with the tail between the legs! What a shame!"

He continued his rant at the top of his lungs until he was exhausted. He breathed heavily as he slowly regained his composture. He sat down.

"Come here, Yoru." – he called in a smooth voice.

She hesitated, but approached. He put a hand to his forehead, looking tired and defeated. She didn't like seeing him like that.

"I have been ignored for far too long. This loneliness is eating me up alive. I am vanishing, I will dissappear little by little, until I cease to exist…" – he said to her in a pained voice. For a moment he grimaced as if in deep torment. Then he became fierce again – "it is their fault!" – he snarled and made a fist in the air – "The Guardians! they made the people forget about me! It is time the know the hollow terror of slow death!"

He was angry, but his voice was edged with sorrow. She dared reach a small hand to him and almost touched him, but he turned his steel eyes to her and she froze.

"If I vanish, you will vanish too." – he finished.

She took her hand back and looked down without uttering a sound. She didn't want to cease to exist.

If she wanted to continue living, they had to defeat the Guardians. That was what he had said. But for some reason, that just felt wrong. And she understood Jack was a Guardian, too. She didn't want to hurt him. They were the same, yet as different as night and day.

Her master stood up and walked towards the globe that showed with golden lights all the children who believed in the Guardians.

A nightmare was just coming in.

"At least somebody is doing the job right" – he glanced accusingly at Yoru.

She shifted uneasily and looked down at her feet again.

The beast had been spying on the Guardians and had come back with news that set Pitch Black's temper off again.

He concentrated on plotting against the Guradian's new strategy and forgot about the shadow girl for the moment.

Yoru fell down to her knees. She knew she would soon have to choose between her own life and the lives of the Guardians. And she could only think of Jack.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Back with the Guardians, now they were all helping collect teeth. As they stood before the bed of the last boy who had a tooth under his pillow, two nightmares peeked thru the window into the room where they were all in. Being discovered, they jerked back and dashed away.

Jack immediately gave chase, his face lighting up, jumping weighless out the window.

"C'mon! We can find Pitch!" – he called out as he was already flying away, carried by the wind.

There had been a small incident and all the Guardians slept, except for Jack and Sandy.

So the two remaining Guardians swiftly chased after the two nightmares as they flew, galloping across the night sky. One of them was Yoru, in disguise.

She was delighted to see how Jack flew after her. It was marvelous! She felt as if her heart would burst with happiness. He followed every turn and leap swift as the wind itself. This was the closest she would get to playing together. But she got a grim reminder of the danger the chase posed as Sandy caught the nightmare that galloped next to her and turned it into a golden stingray.

"Oh, no… if he touches me, I will die!" – Yoru thought. She pushed forward, trying to get out of Jack and Sandy's reach.

She almost managed to escape. She just had to dart down a building to use it as a shield between the two Guardians and herself and be able to melt into shadows. She was just turning shapeless when…

A shot of freezing power from Jack's staff hit her back.

She felt all her body being paralized, pierced by hundreds of ice needles. Her heart beat erratically as fear took over. She was going to die, by the hand of the boy she had fallen for.

She lost all her strenght and plummeted, crashing on a building's roof, unable to move. The black dust was frozen and she was shapeless, lying there, vulnerable, pain tearing her body. But she couldn't utter a sound or move a bit.

Jack came closer. She could hear him laughing. Was he laughing at her? Was he happy he was going to kill her? So, Pitch was right. Anybody would try to kill her.

She didn't know if she felt her heart crushing. The pain from the freezing blast was all that existed at the moment and made thinking difficult. She felt her shoulder being poked at by something hard and it only made the pain worse. It was Jack, scraping the frozen black dust with his staff.

"H-he can't… b-be… like th-…" – she managed to think.

Without being able to complete her last thought, she fell into oblivion.

Pitch Black stepped into view at that moment. He didn't pay attention to the black dab of dust at Jack's feet, even when he knew it was Yoru.

Jack and Sandy were soon too busy, as were the rest of the Guardians, amidst a feral fight against huge black nightmare stallions.

Pitch Black managed to corrupt Sandy's body, turning him into black sand. When the small, chubby Guardian was engulfed entirely, Jack screamed with all his strenght. The nightmares formed a menacing wave that fell upon the boy, drawning him. But he produced a massive outburst of freezing power that destroyed all of the beasts like fireworks in the sky.

The electric blue power froze them and then exploded like a chain reaction, blasting Jack away too.

The Tooth Fairy was barely able to catch the boy as he fell, drained, and took him back into North's sleigh.

Nevertheless Pitch had managed to escape again.

Back at the rooftop, some golden dust speckles fell slowly upon frozen black sand. The shapeless mound shone for a moment, then stirred.

The pain was still excruciating, but she managed to move.

"I'm alive!" – she breathed as she slowly, painfully, worked herself back into her true shape – "But, how?"

"Ah, I'm glad you 'got yourself together' again!" – he heard Pitch's deep voice say behind her.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Back in North's headquarters the Guardian's mourned Sandy's passing. But they couldn't sit idle and cry. Pitch was still active and the threat was big. As they gathered gloomly around the huge globe that shone with small dots of light, they noticed that many of the lights were quickly going out.

They were being forgotten.

But the Guardians were not to be so easily defeated. The Bunny asked them all for their help to bring Easter to the world.

So, off they went to the Bunny's warren… where they found a small girl that had traveled through one of North's magical snowballs when they were collecting teeth.

After all the eggs were ready, Jack offered himself to drop the child back home. Reluctantly, the other Guardian's let him go.

As he had just exited the room thru the window, after putting the child to bed; he heard a familiar voice calling him.

Jack flew off in the direction of the voice, disregarding the warnings of Baby Tooth, the little hummingbird-like helper that had accompanied him.

He followed the calling to a clearing in the woods. There, he saw an old bed's base. The wood rotten and broken. Below, he saw a tunnel in the ground. Breaking some of the wood with his staff, he decidedly jumped into the dark hole as the voice continued calling him by his name.

The tunnel led him to no other place but Pitch's hideout.

The ceiling was crowded with hanging cages full of the kidnapped Toot Fairy helpers. Jack flew from one to another, trying to make the little creatures keep silent before they revealed his presence.

He heard the voice again. "Jack?" – it called. He flew down, landing on top of mountains of golden caskets containing the stolen teeth.

"Looking for something?" – Pitch Black inquired.

Jack impulsively went after him. But the man kept evading him, as he talked to Jack with the sole purpose of playing tricks on his mind and toying with the boy's deepest feelings and fears.

"Your greatest fear is that no one will ever believe in you" – Pitch remarked.

Jack fell into a shadow. The place was like a labyrinth. He felt confused, lost, afraid. Pitch appeared before him, offering a golden casket to him.

"Do you want it Jack? Your memories?" – he tempted the boy. But as Jack hesitated, Pitch dissappeared.

Jack frantically looked for him, running about the place. Pitch continued to tempt him about his lost memories and Jack grew desperate.

Pitch easily manipulated the boy's mind with his words, twisting and convincing Jack into believing that all what was happening, all the bad things were, somehow, his fault.

Yoru stayed to a dark corner. Moments before, Pitch had given her the golden tube and told her to get close to Jack, but stay out of sight and make him follow her back.

As she had gotten closer to the boy, the casket glowed in her hand and a girl's voice called Jack's name.

She had been very surprised. A voice from Jack's past! Who could it be? Who could be so dear to him, that the memory called out Jack's name? But she couldn't stop to find out, she had to follow her master's order.

She felt like a dirty traitor. She had lured Jack into a trap. It had been that or lead the attack against the Bunny's warren to ruin Easter. As she had refused the later, her master had 'punished' her making her lead Jack into the hideout. Yoru had begged him not to hurt him and Pitch had said he only wanted to talk to the boy.

Yoru had no idea that words could be so damaging in the lips of somebody like Pitch Black.

Now, she watched, powerless, as her master toyed with Jack's mind and feelings. When he was thru with him, he threw the cylinder into the boy's hands and stepped away.

As the boy tried to go into the darkness after the wicked man, he stumbled back to the surface.

Jack found himself in a park. Easter had been a failure. He had lost Baby Tooth and he had failed to help the Guardian's protect the eggs.

They all seemed to turn on him, blaming him for not being there, for having only selfish reasons. It all got worse after they saw the tooth casket in his hand and learned he had been with Pitch Black. All of the Guardian's thought the worst of the silver haired boy as he akwardly tried to plea his innocence.

Then the Easter Bunny exploded. That was it. Feelings thorn, Jack flew away, leaving the Guardians behind.

He went to a far off place covered in ice and snow at the end of the world. He tried to throw the casket away, but he was absolutely unable to do it. He looked at the golden cylinder. It has his picture in one end.

He heard a voice behind him. It was Pitch.

"I thought this might happen" – he told Jack.

The boy turned enraged against the man. They fought with tremendous power. One using black dust to shield himself, the other shooting electric blue freezing rays from his staff.

They matched their powers as they argued. Yoru watched the fight from afar. She recognized the things her master was saying. He had time ago said the same to her.

"I know what is like to be cast out! To not be believed in! To long for… a family"

Pitch had a sad air as he said this. He seemed torn himself, hurt. Jack was panting from the fight and warily pointed his staff at the tall, thin man.

"all those years in the shadows I thought, no one else knows what this feels like" – the ashen skinned man continued, pain in his eyes.

Yoru's heart twitched. She didn't like seeing her master like that. Why were all of them fighting if they could be together? They were going thru the same torment: loneliness. She gazed upon Jack as the boy pondered Pitch's words.

"We don't have to be alone, Jack" – the man said. Jack was now disarmed as he listened, pain of his own resurfacing. His fears were being voiced by the man before him. Could he have an answer after all?

"I believe in you, and I know children will do too"

Jack's face lit up a bit.

Yoru felt like going up to him too, it would be great if they could make a family. The three of them!

"Look at what we can do" – Pitch continued as the motioned to the giant ragged ice figure that had been created from the black dust and the fierce freezing ray colliding against each other.

Jack ran his gaze up the imponent formation.

"We will give them a world where everything is…" – the man said enthusiastically.

"Pitch Black?" – the boy cut in.

"And Jack Frost" – the man hurried to add – "They will believe in both of us"

"No. They'll _fear_ both of us" – Jack said frowning – "and that is not what I want"

Jack marched away, telling Pitch to leave him alone. But the man made him turn again when he showed him a squeaking Baby Tooth in his fist.

They argued again as Pitch threatened to tighten his fist in a deadly fashion.

Yoru's heart crushed. She had never seen her master's intentions so clear before. She had refused to admit he was evil. He had manipulated her all too well. But hearing Jack say that Pitch wanted all to fear him was the truth. And seeing her master about to take the little creature's life without remorse made her sick.

Black tears ran down her ivory cheeks, leaving dark trails.

"How was I so naïve, so blind?" – she thought to herself. But there was no going back. Her life was in Pitch's hands. If she disobeyed him, he would take away his power from the black dust. And if he did that, she would be alone against the world and would be killed.

Pitch tricked Jack into giving him his staff.

"Be alone!" the man exclaimed. Baby Tooth stabbed the evil man's hand with her sharp nose and got thrown away.

"No!" – the boy screamed.

Pitch broke Jack's staff in two. The silver haired boy growled and bent in pain.

Yoru reached out a hand towards the boy she liked, in a silent call as Pitch Black struk him hard with a blow of black dust. His thin, fragile-looking body was smashed against the solid stone and then fell down into a gap among the rocks.

The boy laid on the bottom, unconcious.

Pitch Black threw the broken staff down and took his leave.

Yoru gathered her courage and descended after Jack after her master was gone. She had Baby Tooth in her hands by now. The poor creature was unconcious too, having been thrown by Pitch against the stone as well. Yoru made herself a pocket of black dust and put Baby Tooth inside.

Jack laid sprawled, his back against the stone. She cautiously approached and kneeled before him. Her heart was pounding and she swallowed hard. She reached a shaky hand and gently stroke the boy's hair.

It was soft as freshly fallen snow! She marveled at the once-in-a-lifetime chance of touching Jack.

She grew bolder and got closer to him. She put a hand to his cheek, noticing his smooth but cold skin. Supporting his head with one hand, she stroked his head softly with the other, carefully examining by touch and making sure he was not bleeding or badly hurt.

She gently rested his head against the rock again and leaned closer to his face, to hear his breathing. The air went in and out of his mouth softly and evenly.

She didn't risk moving him too much, she was afraid that he would awake and see her… and hate her.

"Jack" – she sighed mindlessly.

The boy groaned. She froze. He was waking up!

(Jack's POV)

His body hurt all over, the terrible headache made thinking a futile task. He had felt something very soft touch him and he tried to pull himself out of the darkness of his faint to find out if it was a trick from that hideous man.

But the hand stroke his hair and held his head in such a tender manner that he felt no threat at all. It was comforting in a way he had never felt before. The touch had a warmth that he hadn't experienced in hundreds of years.

The gentle hands put his head softly back to the original position and their touch was gone.

His brain tried groggily to function. He didn't want that caress to end. He felt something lean close to his face, but still he couldn't make his own body react.

He was sure he was able to utter a noise. Being semi-concious was to him like wading thru thick sand. He found impossible to drag himself out of that dream-like state. He managed to say some words.

(Yoru's POV)

Yoru was still as a statue as Jack opened his eyes just a little and muttered – "w-who… a-re you?" In a weak voice that apparently had required an icredible effort to articulate.

She dared not speak. She could see his mint green eyes trying to adjust but he was still too dizzy to focus properly.

(Jack's POV)

He tried to force his eyes on the figure before him. He thought he saw a girl. Flowing blacker-than-black hair and… completely black eyes? All was somewhat blurry, but he thought she was pretty. What an odd thought. But then, dreams are odd. Was she the one who had touched his face? Was she a dream? It had felt so real… and nice.

He wasn't coherent enough to push hidden desires back as he would if he were fully awake. In this dream, he wanted to be touched and held. He had been alone for so much time that he longed for the contact. And her touch had been specially… delicious? Odd… such an odd though…

(Yoru's POV)

Yoru relaxed as Jack's eyes closed again.

"I'm sorry, dear Jack" – she whispered in his ear and kissed him on the cheek.

Having made sure he was not gavely injured, she stood up to leave. She didn't want him to open his eyes again and see her… see a nightmare. She took the little jewel-feathered creature out of her pocket and laid it on the snow, nearby Jack.

"I'm sorry I can't take you. But he'll see you, you'll be fine." –she whispered.

The creature didn't even stir.

Yoru dissappeared from sight.

(Jack's POV)

He tried not to, but couldn't avoid falling uncouncious again. The last thing he heard was a whisper in his ear, it was soft and loving. She said his name. Then he felt somethig warm press against his cheek. It felt nice and soft. Like someone… kissing him? His longing stirred deep within him again, tinged with another feeling he never had before. "She kissed me?"

He pushed again and finally commanded his body to move. The headache receeded. How long had he been unconcious? He couldn't tell.

Then, the memory of the last events came crashing upon him, making his earlier dream flee away to the forgotten corners of his mind. He looked to his side.

"Baby Tooth! Are you alright?" – he said in a soft tone as he picked up the hummingbird-like creature, who sneezed with cold in his hand.

"Sorry, all I can do is keep you cold" – Jack said sadly – "Pitch was right. All I can do is make a mess of everything"

As he leaned against the stone again, feeling miserable, Baby Tooth found her way to one of Jack's pockets.

"Jack!" – a familiar voice intoned. The boy jerked away before realizing it came from the casket in his pocket.

He finally had the courage of opening it and found his memories. Who he had been, what he had done, how he had become Jack Frost.

Yoru had stayed watching him. She was unable to go away, so worried that he might be in danger as he laid unconcious. She saw him get up and open the cylinder. She couldn't see what he saw, but he got up with renewed spirits. He boasted what he had seen.

"A family… a sister…" – the shadow girl repeated. So, Jack was a hero. She swelled with pride for him.

She couldn't remember if she ever had someone before. She only remembered waking up and seeing Pitch Black's face. Now she felt an abyss open between Jack and her. He was a hero and she was a traitor.

He picked up his staff and attempted to fix it.

"You can do it, Jack" – she whispered.

And he did. The staff sparkled and became whole again. She saw him rocketing up into the sky, laughing aloud.

But all she could do was watch him, dark tears of mixed pain and joy in her black, empty eyes. She hurried to go back to her master before he wondered where she was.

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Pitch was too busy in North's shop to wonder about the shadow girl's whereabouts just then. He was turning the last lights in the globe out. Until only one was left. One that didn't go out.

Guardians and villain rushed their separate ways trying to find the last child in the world who believed in the Guardians.

Jack was back to Pitch's hideout. He saw the last light in his globe. He knew who the boy was.

"Where have you…" – Pitch started, but then noticed something in Yoru as she emerged from a shadow.

"That sweet pain and fear!" – he said realizing her feelings.

Yoru gasped. Could the Master know? He knew all fears… and he surely knew hers.

"The fear growing within you, the pain dwelling in your heart! The shattered dreams and hopes!" – Pitch Black exclaimed.

"Ah! I sure was lucky when I found you!" – he laughed with wicked mirth – "All those emotions that flow so intensely within you are the source of the power of this black sand!"

He beckoned her. "Come, my little girl. It is time to end this fight."

"No" – she replied in a faint voice.

"What?" – he thought he heard wrong.

"No" – she repeated louder.

Pitch chuckled. "Now what's gone into you?"

She was silent and averted his silvery, piercing gaze. But he didn't seem angry even when she was refusing to serve to his plans. His expression was soft and inquisitive.

"You are bad" – she uttered.

"You are too" – he retorted.

"I'm… not" – she hesitated.

"Yes you are" – he said sweetly – "You led the attack against the Tooth Fairy, you captured the helpers, you created the nightmare creatures, you…" – he made a dramatic pause – "lured – Jack – into – my - trap" - He made sure to mark every word. Then he turned fierce.

"Do you think they are going to forgive you? They all hate you! You are a nightmare! Something that has to be destroyed! You represent what their treasured children fear."

Pitch's moking words echoed like hammers in her mind.

"You know its true" – he continued– "did you think you could change how the others would see you? Did you think for a moment that Jack would like you?"

Her head snapped back to her master and she stared at him in dismay.

"You thought I wouldn't notice?" – he asked and huffed – "You underestimate me."

He would look at you with disgust if he ever saw your true form as I see it. Only I accept you as you are! Do you think he would like to gaze into empty eyes? Any lover will shiver in fear at the sight of your disturbirng appearance. Your hair, your very essence is the black sand they have learned to hate. They are trying to destroy you. They will not stop and wonder if it would be nice to keep a nightmare around. They will blindly and foolishly destroy you because you are a menace to their precious brats!" – he roared.

He reached out a hand to her, turnig softer.

"Accept what you are, my dear Yoru, as I have accepted it. I can see the power within you. Let's create a world where we can be free, where we don't have to hide anymore. They will learn to accept us. To fear us! This is just the turmoil that any change brings along."

"I will not hurt him!" – she still tried to fight the rising frustration and pain that all his words brought. All what he said rang true.

"Do you think he will accept you?" – he asked again – "He already tried to kill you. He froze you and then poked at your body with a stick. You heard him laugh. And he would do it again." – he finished with a sneer.

He was right. Jack would never love her. What was she thinking? As everything crashed upon her, her heart broke and black sand poured out of her. Her eyes broke in tears that were nothing more than black sand. Her black flowing hair grew into a whirlwind that swallowed her and grew bigger and bigger.

Her power was uncontrollably unleashed. She was consumed in fear, pain, despair and deception. Those violent feelings, aided by Pitch's own power that he drew from fear, fueled the black sand and it became massive.

Pitch Black smiled. He could taste victory.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Huge, imponent nightmare stallions materialized by dozens. Pitch mounted one of them as he went off to face the guardians.

The Guardians managed to gather a bunch of children to believe in them, but Pitch Black was becomin increasingly stronger each moment that passed, comanding the power that Yoru was unleashing.

The sky became darker and storm clouds spread, black sand covering all. And the heart of all was Yoru.

As her pain and anger against herself rose, the sand became like a sea that flooded the streets, devouring all in its way.

A huge wave rose and fell down upon the Guardians, who stood weakly behind a line of little children.

But the children stood up for the Guardians.

"I believe in you, but I'm not afraid of you" – said one determined little boy.

The black wave came down, but at the very second it touched the boy's hand, it turned into gold.

The child had touched and awaken the essence of the Sandman, who was captive within the black sand.

The Guardians recovered their strenght as all dust turned to gold.

Pitch looked around as the golden rivulets quickly filled the sky.

"Get them" – he commanded to the black beasts.

They obeyed and lauched themselves head on in a frontal attack, surrounding and closing upon the Guardians.

The battle escalated quickly to epic proportions as all the Guardian's helpers came to aid.

Jack faced Pitch.

The Guardians slowly but steadily, tilted the scale back to their side. The golden dust taking over the black one.

"It's over, Pitch. There's no where to hide" – Jack said as he and his friends closed on their enemy.

But Pitch still had some tricks. He vanished into shadows reappearing behing Jack. The dark man raised his scythe, made of black dust, to deliver a deadly blow to the boy. But a golden tendril seized him just before he could do harm.

The Guardian's couldn't even imagine all what really happened at the heart of the storm just moments before.

Sandy was now back from the darkness and floated in the core of the storm, with Yoru. She was very afraid of vanishing, and she pushed her darkness with great force against Sandy's golden dust. But the Sandman parted the darkness and tended a hand to her.

"You will kill me if you get the chance" – she snarled at him.

Sandy moved his head indicating a no and reached out to her again.

"I will die!" – she howled, arching her back, depair in her scream.

Sandy denied again moving furiously his head from side to side.

With his golden dust, he formed a figurine depicting Jack.

"Jack…" – she whispered longingly.

Sandy took advantage of her distraction and touched her.

She gasped as the darkness left her, all her power and body becoming gold and then almost blinding silver.

"I'm not dead!" – she exclaimed as she patted herself in disbelief. Her clothes sparkled like diamonds, her hair was still black but didn't float about. It fell heavy and straight, past her shoulders down to her waist. Her eyes were ice-blue cat-like slitted orbs.

Sandy smiled. Stars formed around him.

"Why a star?"- she asked. But then she had a bad feeling.

"Jack!" – as she turned, she saw her master about to slice the unsuspecting boy in two.

She leashed out with her power, commanding Sandy's golden dust and grabbed Pitch's scythe, dragging him to them.

As everybody came closer, Yoru saw Jack. Fear crept on her again.

Sandy took her hand.

"I can't do it!" – Yoru said sadly inside the golden swirling sand that still concealed them.

"Don't tell them about me, please" – she begged.

The little plump fellow made a very sad face and a question mark formed on top of his head.

"I… I…" – she choked with her words – "I like Jack… very much." – she blushed deeply.

Sandy was all hearts and smiled sweetly.

"Please, don't tell him!" – she begged again.

Sandy nodded sadly.

"Thank you… thank you" – she whispered and kissed him on the cheek before reverting to her shadow shape and escaping.

When the golden whirlwind opened its core, Sandy came out from it and faced Pitch, knocking him cold with one blow.

Then, he raised up in a sparkling cloud and flooded the world with dreams, bringing back the memories of the children and making them believe again in the Guardians.

The lights of the globe in North's shop never shone so intensely.

They all played and celebrated their victory.

Seeing himself forgotten again, Pitch Black fled in terror. He was going to vanish.

In his hasty run away, he didn't see where he was going. He ended up bouncing off North's belly and fell backwards.

"You will never get rid of me!" – he threatened – "There will always be fear"

Yoru was still around and she narrowed her black eyes at her master. She used her black dust and summoned a group of nightmare horses. She was surprised she could use it without trouble, but she noticed it was somwhat different without Pitch's fear power mingled in.

Pitch saw the beasts and gained confidence.

"As long as there is one child that believes in us, we will be here, to fight fear" – North said.

"Oh, yeah?" – Pitch said defiantly – "So what are they doing here?"

The black beast surrounded them.

"I think it is your fear they smell" – said Jack in a low voice.

Yoru took that as her cue and launched all the nightmares against her former master, dragging him down, into the tunnel that led to his hideout and sealing the exit.

Then, she gazed at Jack, who there and then took the oath as a Guardian.

"I will" – said the boy after North solemly read the oath from the book.

"Congratulations, Jack Frost. For you are now and forevermore, a Guardian" – North announced grandly.

Everybody cheered.

A silent tear ran from black eyes down an ivory cheek. A now crystal clear tear.

"Now we are forever apart, my love" – she whispered as she felt her heart breaking again.

She saw a boy run up to Jack and hug him. Her heart pained even more and she braced herself as she saw Jack gasp and return the embrace. How would she love to be able to hug him like that too!

She pulled her knees up and curled almost into a ball, sitting on the tip of the branch of a tall tree. Jack got on board North's sleigh and they all waved goodbye.

She hid her face away, not wanting to see him leaving. Sobs shook her shoulders.

Jack's heart was soaring with happiness as he walked among his friends in the sleigh and positioned himself in the rear to look down upon the world.

It was then, when a black spot called his attention.

"I'll catch you later, guys!" – he yelled back as he jumped out of the vehicle.

"I just forgot a little something" – he excused himself.

They all turned to look at him as he waved. That was Jack, a wild, froliking spirit. They shook their heads and waved. The sleigh flew away.

Jack descended cautiosly, getting closer to the black figure. Was this another of Pitch's nightmares? He had to make sure.

It was a person, then realized it was a girl. He took the advantage of being still unnoticed and studied her.

Slender body, long, flowing blacker-than-black hair that seemed to be smoke more than hair.

A blurry memory crossed his mind. "Back in the frozen lands, down a gap in the stone…" – he thought – "flowing black hair and… black eyes?"

"Who are you?" – Yoru thought she heard Jack's voice. She looked up and there he was! Floating right in front of her!

She was so startled that she lost balance and fell back, her body unable to react to stop her fall as she crashed down hitting some branches.

She expected to hit hard bottom, but something caught her. She put her arms around whatever had stopped her fall.

But when she looked up again…

Jack was holding her securely in his arms and had a surprised look on his face. She looked into mint green jewels as he looked into black abyss.

Time seemed to stop.

(Jack's POV)

She looked distressed, hurt. Her face was pretty, even prettier as a soft, pink blush crept up her pale cheeks. Her eyes were her most striking feature; they were all black, as if they were empty, but he could tell they were not.

Anybody would've thought she was scary, but for some reason, he didn't. He felt his own blood rushing to his face. He had meant to say – "Are you all right?" – but the words died before being formed.

He remembered a soft, tender touch and seeing a blurry face… her face! She wasn't a dream! He couldn't have dreamed of somebody with…

"your eyes…" – he whispered mindlessly.

(Yoru's POV)

She had instinctively thrown her arms around what had stopped her fall. As she looked up, she found herself in Jack's arms. It was impossible! All her thoughts came to a screetching halt and her brain functions froze.

She couldn't avert her gaze from his handsome face, his bright eyes that looked at her intently, in a way she couldn't describe.

Her stomach was full of butterflies and her heart beat frantically.

Then he whispered "your eyes" – and fear kicked in. She remembered Pitch's words:

"…_Do you think he would like to gaze into empty eyes? Any lover will shiver in fear at the sight of your disturbirng appearance. Your hair, your essence is the black sand they have learned to hate…"_

Hurt, she pushed away from the boy and jumped up to the tree branches. Running away form him.

"Wait!" – he called. He summoned the wind and went after her.

"Please, don't go! Wait!" – he kept calling.

She didn't know what to do.

She stopped, panting and descended, nearly plummeted to the ground.

He came down as well and walked slowly towards her. She stepped back, like a cornered animal, feeling her knees about to give out from her nervousness. She felt lost, would he freeze her again? All she managed to do was hide her face.

Jack approached her one step at a time.

He was now sure she had been the one, down that mountain gap.

He felt suddenly nervous, his courage slipping away.

"I… I just want to t-talk" – he stammered, feeling stupid, his heart pounding. Was it because of the chase or just because she made him nervous?

"What is going on with me?" – he thought inwardly.

She had put her arms up, as if expecting him to strike her.

"I will not harm you" – he said to her. – "I just want to talk to you"

He gave another step. He noticed that they were the same height.

He took her arms and pulled them down. As he did so, he noticed she was trembling like a leaf.

"I will not hurt you" – he said again. He was starting to feel guilty of making her so afraid. What had he done?

"You will try to kill me again" – was her faint answer.

"What?! No!" – he exclaimed bewildered.

Of course, he couldn't have known he almost did kill her. She looked like a nightmare horse back then.

"Why do you say that? I wouldn't dare harm you! Please… look at me" – he said.

She slowly turned her face to him, her eyes closed tightly, her breathing still fast.

"Open your eyes" – he asked softer yet.

Reluctantly, she did.

She had a strange expression on her face. He couldn't tell what it was. It was like sadness, curiosity, expectation, pain, joy, fear, faint hope, all mixed into one.

"Jack…" – she said in a faint, broken whisper, more like a cry, her cheeks flushing again, as if painted with rose petals.

He let go of her arms, becomin nervous – "Hmmm, eh, you know my name… hehe.."- he put a hand behind his head – "and your name is, hmmm... what is your name?"

It was her turn to shift nervously – "Yoru"

"Yoru…" – he repeated slowly, rolling the foreign name in his tonge– "Wow" – he breathed out stepping from one foot to the other.

That was the only comment he could muster. He was so nervous that his thoughts refused to follow a coherent order. He mentally slapped himself for his goofiness.

"hmmm, can I ask what kind of spirit are you? " – Jack blurted out – "I mean, I've never seen somebody like you…" – he gazed at her again. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. The flowing hair and slender body. Her dark dress that resembled veils was very sexy! It had a low v shaped neck that teased his eyes hinting round, soft breasts and it fitted her body marking every curve of her body.

Then the straightforward answer she gave him blew away his mind.

"I am a nightmare" She said as she braced herself as if cold and looked away.

He stood still, struck and speechless. His brain refused furiously the fact that he had just learned.

Noticing his shock, his mouth gaping and his sudden stillness, she grew even more uneasy. "Now he will hate me" – she thought. She couldn't bear his eyes on her anymore. She felt like a hideous monster.

"I shall be gone forever" – she whispered.

She attempted to walk away, but Jack stopped her.

"Please don't go!" – he reached out, but stopped himself before touching her.

She turned to him, black eyes surprised. He didn't know how, but those dark, seemingly empty eyes were expressive and full of life. She was full of life. But she was also suffering. That much he could see.

"You can't be a nightmare" – he said.

She looked confused now. They boy thought for a moment why he had said that, but as he remembered her touch back at the frozen land, the dreaded fact was just wrong.

"You are not a nightmare" – he repeated with more conviction this time – "you are different from them. After seing nightmares face to face, I can say you shine like a shooting star."

Whoa! Where did that come from? He mentally asked himself.

She put a pale hand to her chest, as if she were going to grasp her heart to still it. Her cheeks getting redder, mixed emotions showing in her face. She slightly gaped. He had definitely caused her quite an impression.

He couldn't help but take in her reaction, feeling proud. Something stirred within him, an emotion beyond words.

He gazed at her longingly, intently. The only thought that fluttered in his mind was that he had never seen a prettier girl before.

"I must go!" – she said in a breaking voice, as if she were about to cry. Turning quickly away, she almost jumped out of reach.

"Wa-wait!"

He snapped out of his daydream and grabbed her wrist.

She turned desperately, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but he caught her, keeping her right wrist firmly in his grip and her body securely pinned against his own with his free arm.

She gasped and became very still. He could feel her body tremble in his embrace and her heart beat erratically against his chest. Her breathing became fast again and he could feel warm puffs of breath close to his neck.

"Please, don't be afraid" – he said softly in her ear.

She shivered.

"She is like a scared little bird" – he thought.

He loosened his grip on her a little bit, to pull away just enough to see her face.

At first she avoided his direct gaze but slowly, she turned her eyes to him.

"please don't look at me like that" – she whispered pleadingly – "I am horrible"

"You are not horrible" – he said without thinking – "You are so… pretty" he finished with a sigh and a soft smile.

It was impossible for her to blush deeper. Her face still a strange mixture of fear and surprise.

They were so close and their bodies still pressed tightly togheter.

Jack became suddenly aware of her warm body and soft womanly curves. Her chest still heaved, and her nicely rounded bossom pressend against him every time she drew breath. He blushed too, slowly releasing her from his grip and giving her some space.

But, to his surprise, she didn't step away. She seemed to be petrified on the spot.

They stood there, each one looking into the other's eyes. She looked into crystaized pools of slight green and he gazed into bottomless pits of darkness.

Never had darkness been so appealing.

"Jack…" – she whispered again.

They way she said his name almost made him melt. She lifted a shaky hand to his face and the contact sent an enjoyable electric current down his spine.

Yes, it was the same hand, he knew it for sure now.

She got closer, her eyes half closing as her lips searched his. His own eyelids fell heavily and he felt as if in a daze. His heart was beating hard as a drum and he could feel blood rushing to his face. It felt hot. He wondered if steam wasn't going out the collar of his pullover.

Their lips brushed softly. In sweet anticipation of his very first kiss, he held his breath savoring the barely-there contact.

But then he felt her retreating. He leaned forward, following her lips, but opening his eyes, he found that they were out of reach.

"I can't!" – she cryied in pain – "I am a monster! "

Her darkness seemed to grow again, and she lifted herself into the air, leaving a dumfounded Jack behind.

He reached out with his hand toward her. – "please, don't go!" – were his last pleading words before she dove back down, vanishing, swallowed by a dark shadows thrown by a wide tree.

"I wonder if I will ever see her again" – the boy thought to himself, lowering his gaze. He felt as if he had lost something. There was a gap in his emotions that he needed to fill. His heart had been whole with happiness just moments ago, and now part of it felt empty.

"Why would she say that she is a nightmare?" – he pondered – "and how come Pitch's black dust seems to fload around her, as if it came from her?"

He summoned the wind and flew up, reluctantly; turning back a few times just in case he could catch another glimpse of the strange girl.

Yoru had melted into a shadow and just hid away. She wondered what would happen to her. Sandy had touched her and she hadn't died. She was managing without Pitch's power mixed in with hers and Jack had prooved that not everybody would try to kill her, actually he had seemed to like her.

She saw Jack leaving, still looking around. He had said she was pretty. Nobody had told her that before… well, there was only her master before; and Pitch had never said if he thought she was pretty.

She remembered her recent moments with her beloved boy. He was cold to the touch indeed, but at the same time he had a special warmth that made his cold skin, well, less cold.

She had nearly died when he held her tightly in his embrace!

She wanted to kiss him so badly. But now her chance was lost forever.

Her love couldn't be. He was a Guardian and a hero. She was a nightmare and a traitor. What would he think of her if he knew all what she had done under Pitch's orders?

It was better that way. He would be much better if she vanished. The entire world would be much better.

END?


End file.
